


who wants to be normal?

by wolfish_willow



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, Jonathan Byers' Camera, Minor Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Multi, POV Jonathan Byers, Post-Season/Series 01, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:53:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28288743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfish_willow/pseuds/wolfish_willow
Summary: Nancy and Steve give Jonathan the camera the last day of school so he can use it during Christmas break.
Relationships: Jonathan Byers & Steve Harrington & Nancy Wheeler
Comments: 8
Kudos: 10
Collections: fandomtrees





	who wants to be normal?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [revior](https://archiveofourown.org/users/revior/gifts).



> My contribution to fandomtrees, which I think was a really lovely idea!
> 
> I tried really hard to make these characters get together during canon but it didn't quite work. I'm sorry about that. But I hope you enjoy what's here anyway!

"Thanks for meeting us here."

Nancy smiled, looking a lot more comfortable than Steve who kept darting his eyes over Jonathan and then back to her.

Jonathan nodded, gripping the strap of his bag tighter.

"Sure," he said. "What's up?"

Steve cleared his throat. Jonathan was so preoccupied with _why_ they had asked him to meet them in the darkroom after school that he hadn't noticed the box Steve was holding until Nancy took it from him. The wrapping paper gave it a glittering look in the dim lighting.

"Uh." He hesitated before accepting it when Nancy held it out for him. Was this a joke? They have been friendly enough with him—Nancy more so than Steve who didn't seem to know _how_ to act around him anymore—since that night but they weren't _friends_. "I did get you guys anything."

"No, we know," Nancy said with a short shake of her head. She didn't stop holding the box toward him. "It isn't really a Christmas present."

"It's...not?" he asked, finally taking it from her. It was heavier than it looked.

Hand on Nancy's shoulder, Steve shook his head. "We were going to wait until Christmas to give it to you but thought you might want to use it over break."

"Use it?" Jonathan tilted the box gently back and forth as though that would give him some sort of clue as to what it was.

"Yeah. I, uh. Hope it's okay. We asked around for what should be good, but," Steve shrugged, looking more sheepish than Jonathan had ever seen him, "you'll know better than us."

Curious despite himself, Jonathan started ripping at the edge of the paper. With a brief glance at them to make sure they meant for him to open it right now and seeing two encouraging nods, he pulled the wrapping off.

His throat clicked when he swallowed. It was a camera. Not some cheap replacement like he had been resigned to buying when he finally saved up enough to look again. This was way too much. He couldn't take this but his fingers closed over the edges tight, unwilling to let it go.

"Is it okay?" Steve asked. When Jonathan looked, he saw Steve leaning over Nancy's shoulder and watching him intently. Nancy's bottom lip was caught between her teeth, her hands clasped in front of her. It was strange to be the center of so much attention when it wasn't because someone was talking crap about him or his family.

"It's," Jonathan cleared his dry throat, "a good camera."

Steve's smile stretched so wide across his face, _Jonathan's_ cheeks almost hurt seeing it. Nancy bounced on her toes with a gentler smile of her own.

"This is—"

" _Don't_ say it's too much," Nancy cut him off, spreading her hands out in front of her. "It's the least we could do after...after."

Steve's head dipped toward the ground as he nodded. When he met Jonathan's eyes again, he looked a lot like he did that night after the fight. Before the monster came. His face had healed up nicely without any scars which Jonathan is grateful for—he wouldn't want to be the cause of permanent damage to _anyone_ , let alone the person who ended up saving them later.

So Steve's face was healed but he looked _sorry_ like he had that night. Jonathan held the box just that little bit tighter and nodded.

"I was going to say incredible. Thank you. Really."

Nancy stopped bouncing only to take the few steps needed to close the distance between them and press a brief kiss to his cheek. The box was sturdy and thankfully didn't give under his tight grip. His eyes darted to Steve who didn't look upset or worried or any of the things Jonathan expected him to while watching his girlfriend kiss someone else, even if it _was_ only his cheek.

"Merry Christmas," she said when she stepped back.

"Thanks," he said, "You, too. Uh, Merry Christmas, I mean."

He slid his bag around, setting the box as well as he could inside of it. Chances were, the school would be pretty cleared out when he finished up here and got to his car. He still didn't want to risk the chance that someone—Tommy—might be hanging around and starting something if he saw Jonathan's new camera just before break. Like Steve said, Jonathan would like to get the chance to use it first.

He nodded at them, figuring that they'd done what they wanted. If he didn't start heading home soon, Will might worry—Jonathan was itching to see his brother, actually, but it made him feel better to believe it was mutual after everything.

"Just a," Steve started, seeming to stumble over his words when Jonathan looked at him. He glanced at Nancy and when she smiled, Steve nodded. "If you're free at all, we were wondering if you might want to hang out sometime. Over break."

"Christine is out," Nancy said, still only a step away from him. 

"The car movie?" Jonathan asked, surprised either of them wanted to see something scary after last month.

"Yeah, I mean once you've fought a monster what's so scary about an evil car, right?" Steve said with a shrug.

"It's supposed to be okay," Nancy said. "But only if you want to. I know things are still…"

She trailed off but he knew what she was saying without saying it. It was hard for him and his mom to be away from Will for long still. He seemed like he was doing okay considering everything he went through but Jonathan still woke up some morning convinced that if he went to check, Will's bedroom would still be empty except for a bunch of lamps.

All of that aside, did he _want_ to go to a movie with Nancy and Steve? It would be weird, wouldn't it?

They both watched him patiently for whatever his answer would be and Jonathan thought, why not? They fought a monster together. It would be a little weird going _anywhere_ with Steve Harrington and he wasn't completely sure it was a smart idea to hang out with Nancy when she had obviously made her choice there, but. But they were reaching out now. They hadn't been ignoring him since he got Will back. 

He thought about Nancy's words, the way she understood that he might not be able to go out because of his family but that she wanted to ask anyway, and he wondered if maybe they had been giving him space all this time.

"Yeah," he said, smile growing at the pleased surprise on their faces. "We'll have to work around my mom's schedule"—they nodded—"but that sounds. Good. Fun."

Grinning, Nancy reached out and squeezed his arm. "Great."

She stepped back, Steve taking her hand. His face looked soft and happy when she leaned into his side and surprise shot through Jonathan when that expression didn't go away when Steve looked back at him.

"We'll call you and figure out what works best."

"Sure," Jonathan said, wrapping both of his hands around the strap of his bag. "See you guys later."

The entire walk to his car, and even the drive home, Jonathan was still unsure any of that actually happened. But the camera was sitting in his bag when he opened it in his room and later that night his mom called him to the kitchen with quiet wonder in her voice when she told him he had a phone call from a friend.

It was all a little weird but, really, who wanted to be normal anyway?

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


End file.
